The present invention relates to a clutch/brake assembly for mobile equipment, and in particular, a clutch/brake assembly including an integrated electrical generation system for driving a secondary mechanical load.
A variety of different industries use small mobile equipment for performing both utilitarian and recreational tasks, for example, lawn tractors, mowers, snow blowers, concrete crushers, mulchers, golf carts, or the like. Generally, these machines include an internal combustion engine that delivers power for use by the systems of the equipment through an extended rotating crankshaft. In many cases, the crankshaft provides rotary motion that is divided between two different systems within the equipment, an implement drive system and a wheel drive system.
The equipment's primary drive system directs power from the engine to a prime implement, and is often designed to be capable of transferring the engine's entire available horsepower capacity to the implement. The equipment's secondary drive system provides motive power to the wheels or tracks giving the equipment mobility. However, such equipment is often traction limited, and the wheel drive system can only utilize a small percentage of the engine's available horsepower. This system often provides the ability to connect and disconnect engine power to the wheels as well as to selectively vary the wheel drive speed and direction.
Other mobile equipment, including personal mobility aids, have a wheel drive system for low-power variable speed and direction that is based on using a direct-current, high-speed electric motor coupled to a mechanical gear reduction unit. These systems can be battery operated and rely on a “total loss” electrical supply, meaning the batteries are charged during periods of non-use and the battery current is consumed to depletion during the course of operating the machine. However, these wheel drive systems typically do not facilitate use of a high-capacity clutch or clutch/brake assembly capable of delivering power to an implement. Further, the wheel drive systems often require recharging between uses.